Lori Harmon, 62, of 190 Spruce St., Apt. 2, Manchester

MANCHESTER — When the manager of a Spruce Street apartment house was dispatched to the property over the weekend to repair some type of leak coming from the second floor, his knock on the door was answered by a tenant who allegedly refused to let him in to do his job.

But the manager didn’t need to go into the apartment to realize something terrible was allegedly going on in Apartment 2 on the second floor of 190 Spruce St., according to police.

What the manager saw — cockroaches, both inside and outside the apartment, and heard — several children inside — prompted him to call police.

As arriving officers approached the apartment, police said, they saw “a swarm of bugs and flies hovering” outside the apartment windows, and by the time they got to the door, “they smelled a distinct stench coming from the apartment.”

They knocked on the door, and, similar to the property manager’s experience, a tenant opened the door but refused to let officers in, police said.

Eddie King, 44, of 190 Spruce St., Apt. 2, Manchester

They said the tenant, later identified as Alicia Washok, 37, “would not immediately cooperate” with officers.

While they were standing at the door, police said, the officers noticed a young child coming out of the apartment “covered in filth” and having “a bad odor.”

Based on what they encountered, the officers explained to Washok that according to the law, they needed to access the apartment to check on the well-being of the children inside, police said.

As they entered and began looking around, the officers found trash covering the floor, flies and other bugs on the ceilings and walls, what appeared to be feces near a crib and moldy food where the children slept, according to police.

The officers also found five children, ranging from 2 to 6 years old, inside the place. They rounded them up and called for emergency medical personnel to evaluate their conditions.

Alicia Washok, 37, of 190 Spruce St., Apt. 2, Manchester

All five were taken to Elliot Hospital for observation, police said. Their conditions weren’t immediately available.

Upon a brief investigation, police determined the apartment was unsafe for occupancy by children.

A short time later, police arrested Washok; her husband, Eddie King, 44; and her mother, Lori Harmon, 62.

They were all charged with one count each of reckless conduct and endangering the welfare of a child, while Washock and Harmon were each charged with one count of resisting arrest.

They were scheduled to be arraigned on Monday on the charges, but whether the hearings were held isn’t known. Their bail status is also unknown.

Apartment house at 190 Spruce St., Manchester

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.

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